Parenteral fluid dispenser



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March 18, 1958 R. c. LITTLE PARENTERAL FLUID DISPENSER 7 Filed Aug. 9, 1955 United States Patent Q PARENTERAL FLUID DISPENSER Robert C. Little, Evansville, Ind., assignor to Mead, Johnson & Company, a corporation of Indiana Application August 9, 1955, Serial No. 527,284

2 Claims. (Cl. 141-94) the parenteral fluid is supported in an inverted position through a suitable handle attached to the bottle by a support positioned above the parenteral fluid recipient. Means are provided to allow a flow by gravity from the container and through a suitable injection needle into the recipient. Such means often include a flow regulator or clamp which may be operated manually to control the rate of flow of the liquid.

In the parenteral systems now found in the art where it is desired to supply only a limited quantity of liquid to the recipient, two methods of controlling the quantity are commonly employed. The first method is to utilize containers holding only the specific quantity of liquid desired. While this does allow a control over the quantity administered, it necessitates the maintaining of a considerable number of containers having difierent volumetric capacities and does not admit of easy adjustment where a variation of the amount to be administered is subsequently found desirable. The second method commonly utilized is to use a container having a greater quantity than is expected to be utilized and through use of the flow regulator or clamp stop the flow to the recipient when desired, or by removal of the injecting needle terminate the administration. This method has a' serious disadvantage of requiring constant attention by the adminisuse be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a parenteral fluid dispensing system having a flow control means embodying the invention; and

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view partially in section of the device of Figure l.

in the exemplary embodiment of the invention as disclosed in the drawings, the parenteral fluid dispensing system is shown to comprise a container 14 adapted to be supported by a bracket 11 in an inverted, elevated position. Container 10 is provided with a stopper 12 through which extends an air inlet means 13. Liquid conducting or transferring means generally designated 14 are provided comprising a drip meter 15, to the lower end of which is connected one end of a tube 16. To the other end of tube 16 is connected an injection needle 17, and tube 16 is provided, intermediate its ends, with flow regulating or clamp means 18. Connected in fluid conductive relationship to the upper end of the drip meter 15 and extending upwardly through the stopper 12 into the contamer 10 is how limiting means generally designated 19. Means 19 comprises a tube or pipe Ztl and a connecter zi. 1n the admimstration of parenteral fluids from container 10, the fluids pass through pipe 20, into and through drip meter 15, into and through tube 16, and into and from in ection needle 17 to the recipient. To permit continuation of this flow, air is admitted through air tuoe 1.6 to the interior of container 10 to replace the withdrawn fluid. A bail Na is pivotally secured to the lower portion of container 10 and is adapted to be received in a groove trator to assure prevention of over-supplying the parenteral fluid or flooding the recipient. Such flooding may be very harmful, particularly in pediatric administrations.

The principal feature of this invention is the provision of a new and improved parenteral fluid dispensing means, suitable for pediatric administration, for adjustably limiting the quantity of fluid dispensed from a parenteral system.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of means for adjustably limiting the flow of parenteral fluid from a container having an opening adapted to be positioned at the bottom of the container, including a tube adapted to extend vertically through the opening upwardly into the container and having a length to allow the positioning of the upper end of the tube at any one of a plurality of positions between the opening and the portion of the container above the opening, and means for readily connecting the lower end of the tube in liquid conductive relationship to liquid conducting means of the parenteral system.

A further feature of the invention is to provide the above described tube with a sharpened angularly extending upper end adapted to allow ready insertion through a stopper normally provided across the opening of the container.

Other features and advantages of this invention will 11a provided in bracket 11 for supporting the container 10 in an inverted vertical position. Bracket 11 may be or any suitable type for positioning the container 10 in an elevated position relative to the recipient of the parenteral nuid. Container It? is preferably provided with means for determining the position of the upper end of pipe 20 therein and to this end in the illustrative embodiment of the drawings, 1 show the container as transparent. Means for accurately determining the relative position of the end of the tube 20 in the container may 'be provided, such as graduated scale ltlb carried on the wall of the container. Container 10 is provided with an open mouth We which, when the container is supported in the inverted position, as described above, is disposed at the'lower end of the container.

Stopper 12 comprises a generally cylindrical member and is forcibly secured to container 1% across opening 1th: to have sealing engagement therewith. Stopper i2 is preferably formed of resilient material, such as rubber. Extending at least partially through the stopper, are two longitudinal bores 12a and 12b.

Air inlet means 13 comprises an elongated tubular member 13d preferably formed of glass and having a length sufiicient to extend from stopper 12 substantially through the interior of container 19, as best seen in Figure 1. The outer end 13d of air tube 13d is secured in bore 12b. A cup-shaped filter member 13a is provided in which is carried suitable antiseptic filter material 1312 which acts to purify and sterilize air passing therethrough. A hollow needle 13c is secured at one end to cup 13a to have communication with the interior of the cup, and is provided with a sharpened tip 13c which is adapted to pierce stopper 12 and allow needle to have communication with bore 12b. Thus, air may be drawn through filter 13b where it is sterilized, thence through needle 13c, and thence through tube 13d into the interior of container 10.

Drip meter 15 may be of any suitable form, preferably having a relatively small diameter inlet cannula 15a. In

answer such drip meters, typically, the inner end of the cannula extends interiorly of the body 155 of the drip meter so that drops of the parenteral fluid may be counted as they pass through the drip meter. 7 7

Pipe or tube 20'comprises an elongatedtubulartmem ber preferably having a length s'ufficient toaextend from stopper 12 through therinterion of-containerlO toaadja-t cent the upper end thereof when the container is supported in the inverted position ofFigure I 1. .Pipe 20 may be provided with a sharpened, angularly extending inner end 20a which is adapted more readily to penetrate This engagement is such as to allow :readylongitudinal movementof pipe 20 through bore 12a'so that inner end Eda-of the pipe may be readily positioned :in any one of a plurality of positions between stopper 12 and the opposite or upper end of container 10. I have :found that where ipe zu is formed of glass and stopper 12,is formed of rubber, an excellent coaction is hadtherebetween allowing ready adjustment while maintaining a yieldable gripping and sealing engagement therebetween.

Connector 21 comprises a tubular sleeve preferably formed of a resilient material such as rubber and providedxwith a bore 21a extending longitudinally therethrough having a diameterslightly less than the diameter of pipe 2?. Connector 21 is secured over the outersend Ziib of pipe 20 and over the end of the drip meter cannula 15a to connect pipe 2! and "drip meter 1 in fluid conductive relationship. i a

In using flow limiting means 19, stopper 12 is perforated axially of bore12a preferably by inserting end 13c of air filter 1311. The interior of the parenteral fluid container 10 is commonly under a vacuum pressure so that air'is drawn through filter 13a to relieve the vacuum. 'Filter 13a is 'then withdrawn from bore 12a and its end 13c inserted into bore 12b for -admitting filtered air through tube 'l3dlduring subsequent withdrawal of fluid from the container. Connector 21 is secured over the end of drip meter cannula 15a with tube projecting outwardly oppositely from the connector. End 20a of pipe 20 is then forcibly urged through vthe Ibore 12a. To prevent contaminatiomftube ,Ztimay be wrapped in a suitable flexible packaging (not shown) which .may be withdrawn as the tubepasses into'bore 2a. With ,the

' container in the inverted position of'Figure LIthesheight of end 20a in the container is adjustedfto'the desiredposition which may be gauged by use oflscalelllb. The administration of the parenteral 'fluid may fthen be, conducted in the normal manner. "When; however, the level of fluid in the container 'ltlhas been lowered below the end 26a of tube 20, the dispensing of the fluid is automatically terminated, thereby preventing flooding of the patient without the necessity of continuous personal supervision. If it is desired at this point to continue the administration of the fluid, pipe 20 may be withdrawn outwardly from the container 19 thereby lowering end 20a so that fluid may again ,flow; from the container 10. It should be noted that fiow limiting means 19 does not alfect the rate of-flow, so-thabclarnp 18-may function in the normalmannen as by-restricting-thetubing .16 the desired extent to permit only the desired rate .of flowi fiow limiting means 19 limits the total quantity which may flowfrom the container: with any-given longitudinal positioning of the p ipe,20.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made v-without departing 'from the spifr'it ,and scope of the. invention .as defined in the. a ended claims.

I claim v1. a Parenteral administration .apparatuspf the character described, comprising: ,a parenteral soluti0n dispensing containenhav'ing an op liin in the bottom;ta resilient stopper-.in'the opening an outlet tube extending through and adju stably carried byhsaid stopper to'be positionedat various heights in ,s'aid container, said outlet tube being of sufiicient'length'to extend substantially to the top of the container when fullyiiuserted; a, graduated scale operablyv associated with said container and outlettube to indicate'the quantity of parenteral solutionto be dispensed with a particular setting of thepu'tlet tube; and infusion equipment connected to said outlet ftube.

"2.Parenteral adniinistration apparatus of the character described, comprising: a dispensing container having an opening in the" bottom; a resilientstopper in the opening; 7

an outlet tube extending through andadjustably carried by saidstopper to be positioned at variousheightsiin said container, said outlet tube being of sufiicientlength to extend substantially" to the top of the container when fully'insertedyztfflexible connector on the outer end' of said outlet tube; and infusionequipment including a drip metenhaving a cannula connected with saidflexible connector. 7

"References Gitetiin the lite -of this patent UNITEDsST-AIES PATENTS 

